Groceries & Markets

GROCERIES

Wegmans – for those not from the area, the best analogy for this megastore would be Whole Foods meets Food Lion. It has a mix of conventional and organic groceries, an impressive international section that caters to exacting palates, and a huge beer selection to boot. Also offers a great place to get lunch. or dinner on the go- there are four long rows of self-serve meals, sushi, soups, and a deli.
Tops – your regular, conventional grocery store. Some argue that the prices are lower than Wegmans, but it depends on what you buy. The food editor opts for Wegmans.
Aladdin Market, 1179 Hertel Ave.: Middle Eastern foods, grains, spices, canned foods, hookah, and sweets.
Aldi – a discount grocer, which operates on the principle of low-staffing & do-it-yourself-bagging. The quality’s not always fantastic, but hey, it’s cheap - and for the simple things (spices, eggs, milk), it works. Beware that you can only pay with cash or a debit card, not credit cards are accepted. Oh, and you need a quarter to get your shopping cart.
Lexington Co-op, 807 Elmwood Ave, Buffalo, NY: A membership-based organization that is open to the entire community. They provide natural foods, including homegrown and organic produce. A bit more expensive than some other grocery stores, but provides whole foods and allows you to support the local economy.
Premier Gourmet, 3904 Maple Road, Amherst or 3465 Delaware Ave, Kenmore: Right next to Premier Liquors, this gourmet store boasts a selection of fine cheeses, chocolates, and a bakery that’s buried behind a few aisles of imported kitchen utensils and knick-knacks. A good beer selection and lots of fun gifts for the foodie in your life. Get your Buffalo-shaped cookie cutters here.
Premier Liquors, 3445 Delaware Ave, Kenmore; 7980 Transit Road, Williamsville; 3900 Maple Road, Amherst: You won’t find wine in any grocery stores, by state law – but Premier is a good all-purpose liquor store, with knowledgeable staff. They have a lot to choose from, so it helps if you have an idea of what you want. Premier specializes in wine, but for the single malt Scotch drinkers out there, there’s a whole aisle waiting for you.
Ni Hoowa Supermarket (Chinese), 3175 Sheridan Dr., Amherst, NY: Possibly the largest Chinese grocer in the Buffalo metropolitan area. Good prices, wide selection, fresh produce, huge selection of frozen seafood; also carries a limited selection of prepared Korean foods.
Sung’s Oriental Grocery & Gift (Korean), 850 Niagara Falls Blvd: A great all-around Korean specialty store, which sells many prepared & pickled vegetables, as well as thinly sliced meats (lamb, beef, pork).
Kim’s Oriental Food & Gift (Korean), 811 Millersport Hwy. For serious Asian foodies, though, Toronto and its surrounding suburbs are really where it’s at. Scarborough and Richmond Hill have countless Chinese and Korean supermarkets to shop at, but it’s certainly a daytrip, and there’s a huge catch: you can’t bring any vegetables or meats back over the border.
Super Bazaar, 3218 Sheridan Drive, Amherst, NY: If you're looking for Indian ingredients like curry mix, Indian bread products like naan, or Indian sweets, this is definitely the place to go. Corner of Sheridan and Bailey, across the street from Tom's Diner.

Farmers’ Markets

Elmwood-Bidwell Farmers’ Market, Saturday 8AM - 1PM, from July through mid-November.
University Community Farmers’ Market, UB South Campus, where Main St and Kenmore Ave meet. Saturday 8AM – 1PM.
Roswell Park Farmers’ Market,
Founders Plaza Farmers’ Market, University at Buffalo North Campus, Wednesday 11AM - 3PM, late August through early December
Broadway Market, 999 Broadway, Buffalo, NY 14212. Mon-Sat 8AM – 5PM: YEAR ROUND! Since 1888. More than forty stores. http://broadwaymarket.org
Community Supported Agriculture (CSA’s) provide a way to directly support local farmers. Consumers buy a share of a season’s harvest, and pick up their vegetables (or fruits, or meat) every week from a convenient location. The cost averages out to about $10 a week for two or three heaping grocery bags of fresh produce. The waitlists are usually long, so sign up early! Check out Native Offerings, http://www.nativeofferings.com, and Porter Farms, http://porterfarms.org.